Cecilia Bartoli wins a Polar million
mainThe Polar Prize winners for 2016 have just been announced, one from serious music the other from pop.
The Italian mezzo will receive 1m Swedish crowns (about $150,000).
A Swedish songwriter known as Max Martin is her opposite number.
Past winners include Chuck Berry, Björk, Steve Reich and Peter Sellars.
The winners get to make a big, world-relayed speech.
UPDATE: The announcement video, with anachronistic commentary and a gormless interviewer:
Polar prize is the most ridiculous of all of them.
It’s all about an unknown foundation buying big names to make themselves appear more important. I just hope the prize winners would also see that and donate the money for an actually worthy cause, only in which case it would be win-win for everybody.
Perhaps you are right. But listen to the speech which Peter Sellars made, when he was awarded the Polar Prize?
https://youtu.be/s0tf49ZLuoQ
Compelling and thoughtful ideas, which we could afford to hear more often.
“A Swedish songwriter known as Max Martin” is probably one of the best music euphemisms I have ever heard…